Love Me
by iamhopeful
Summary: S/K Drabble


A/N I don't own anything. =-))

**Love Me**

It was past 11 in the evening, not late at all, too early even, considering vampires thrive during the night. But he is late.

She shouldn't be worried but she can't help it. This was after all a business arrangement and he can walk away any time. But she knows he won't, too much is at stake, and he wouldn't risk her anger.

Her eyes burned through her cell, waiting for it to ring. She had fiddled with it more times than she could have recalled. She checked constantly for missed voicemails and calls but it remained silent.

She was getting annoyed and worried, he was never late. She stood up from the couch, determined to look for him when she heard the jiggling of the keys in the front door, then a soft click.

"Where have you been?" she asked, careful not to show her relief and maintain her nonchalance facade.

"Out to feed," he answered back in a bored tone. But she knows it was a lie. She's not stupid but she let it pass. She's just thankful his home.

"I am going out, some things to take care of," she told him as she grabbed her coat on the couch and headed to the front door.

"Wait. Where are…"

"Stefan, as long as you keep your end of the bargain you have nothing to worry about. Why? Do you have something to tell me?" she taunted him.

"No," he replied, quickly masking the worry in his eyes. "I am going to bed," he added making it evident that the conversation is over.

She quickly turned in her heels and left the room before he noticed that his curt reply and obvious dismissal affected her. She should get used to it by now; after all it has been almost a year since they made the agreement. But it doesn't mean it hurt any less.

_**Turn down the light, turn down the bed**_

_**Turn down these voice, inside my head**_

_**Lay down with me, tell me no lies**_

_**Just hold me close, don't patronize, don't patronize me**_

She arrived back their house just a little after 4 am. She opened the bedroom door, allowing the hallway light to enter their room. She silently walked inside the room and headed directly in the bathroom. Her body is tired from the day's activity and a hot bath is what she is craving right now.

After half an hour, she quickly changed and settled at her side of the bed. She lied sideways, facing him, while he is lying on his back. She stared at his sleeping form, the shadows playing across his face. The frown lines that seem to be permanent on his forehead when he is awake are gone, making him look younger. She wanted to caress his face, run his fingers across his face, tracing his eyebrows, his nose, his lips, his chin. She would not dare though, afraid of waking him up. Moments like these, where his hostility towards her are not present, are rare. He began to move and she held her breathe, hoping that he will not wake up. After a few seconds he stilled but not before mumbling something or rather, someone's name. _Elena._ She narrowed her eyes, but after a few moments she let go a defeated sigh.

_**Coz I can't make you love me, if you don't**_

_**And you can't make your heart feel something it won't**_

_**Here in the dark, in these final hours**_

_**I will lay down my heart**_

_**And I'll feel the power**_

_**But you won't, no, you won't**_

_**Coz I can't make you love me if you don't**_

_She was waiting a couple of blocks away from their house, the old oak tree hiding her from plain sight. After a few minutes, she saw him stepped outside their house. He was glancing around his surroundings, making sure he wasn't being watched. After a few minutes, he started walking away from their house and away from her direction. She discretely followed him. _

_It was no surprise that they were headed in Mystic Fall though she didn't think he would dare to return back here. He crossed the street and headed to the direction of the school. She saw him stopped beside a tree, a good vantage point where you can see the students getting out from their class. _

_After a few minutes, the person that they, that he, was waiting for got out of her class. Her doppelganger. She was walking beside her witch best friend, on the way to her car. They were talking about the upcoming school dance._

"_Elena, you have to come," Bonnie begged her best friend._

"_Bon, I am not really feeling up to it." Elena sighs as she took out her car keys._

"_But I thought it was settled that we are all going together. Have you told Caroline about this change of plans?" _

"_No, and you are not telling her. I will. Wait..." she stopped and began to look around her._

"_What's wrong?" Bonnie ask, following her cue and began to scan her surroundings, on guard for something out of ordinary._

"_Nothing, I just…Never mind. Let's just go home." Elena said as she entered her car._

"_Fine, but this conversation is not over yet," Bonnie replied, getting inside the car._

He left after that, straight back home. And she followed later on. She didn't mention his little trip, but she knew that trip is followed by more trips thereafter. She can control him physically, the things he does, and the things he says. Some of the times she can even control what he thinks, but she can never control what he feels. She can demand anything from him, except for his affection and his love.

"_I am giving you a choice, Stefan. Run away with me and I promise that your precious Elena and her friends can live happily ever after in this lifetime. Or stay here and they can enjoy themselves in the afterlife. You decide."_

"_I don't love you, Katherine."_

"_You did once, you can love me again. I can make you love me again. We have all the time in the world."_

_**I'll close my eyes**_

_**Then I won't see**_

_**The love that you don't feel **_

_**When you're holding me**_

_**Morning will come **_

_**And I'll do what's right**_

_**Just give me till then to give up this fight**_

_**And I will give up this fight**_

As if knowing she is staring at him, he moved, lying on his sides, his back towards her. She bit her lip, trying not let out her frustration. When she told Stefan of her little deal, she never thought it would be this hard. Or this heartbreaking. She just wanted to love and be loved. Is she asking too much? Even she doesn't know the answer to that. She knows, one of these days, she has to stop playing this charades and let him go. For her sanity's sake. But not tonight. Tonight, she'll dream of him loving her, really loving her.

FIN


End file.
